Pets Unleashed: Roundup of animals in the news (near and far)

Every day I come across numerous articles and / or videos from across the country (and beyond) that are focused on pet or other animal issues. As time permits, I will share a daily roundup on this blog.

Earlier this week, a 5-year-old in Canyon County donated $5 to the animal shelter there for dog food. The shelter posted this photo, left, of Lane.

***

One of the first things I saw this morning was that Morrissey cancelled an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show because other guests appearing on the same show are “animal serial killers.”

Who were the objectionable guests? Folks from “Duck Dynasty,” a reality TV show about the family behind the company Duck Commander (which makes products for duck hunters).

A press release about a new Hallmark Channel show called “Who let the dogs out?” came into my inbox today. The stars of the show are: Tillman, “the fastest skateboarding dog,” and Norman, “the scooter dog.”

Without the context, it sounds pretty bizarre. The goal is to kill some of the 2 million brown snakes that have wiped out Guam’s native bird population.

As Reuters reports, the dead mice would be laced with the the painkiller acetaminophen. The snakes can grow to 10 feet and become a nuisance in a variety of ways, biting people and causing power outages.

A few days ago, the L.A. Times ran a story on the funeral for San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremiah MacKay, who was killed in a shootout with ex-cop and accused killer Christopher Dorner. It’s a touching story about a dedicated deputy who loved animals, particularly sheepdogs.